The Magic Kingdom, December 1978
Back in 1978, Lou Perry was at Walt Disney World, and having a swell time, I'll wager. But you know Lou, he didn't go anywhere without a camera, and he took quite a few photos of Cinderella Castle. I wonder if this was his first visit to the Florida park? Sue B. will have to let us know. If I was a betting man, I'd wager that he'd been there before.
This first shot is a Skyway view - if we could look down a little more we'd see the Grand Prix Raceway. And we can see all the way to Liberty Square and even Adventureland.
Crane? I don't see a crane. What are you talking about?
This one looks like it could be right out of a guidebook or magazine ad. "If you want photos that look like this, don't buy GAF film!".
It's funny, Cinderella Castle resembles my summer cottage on Lake Como. George Clooney and Amal love to come over and play Yahtzee and listen to my old Doctor Demento tapes. "Fish Heads" is a particular favorite.
Now we have a better look at what's hanging from the crane (I told you there was a crane!); why it's a li'l basket with what I assume are two painters. Even the nicest castles need a little sprucing up sometimes.
Imagine the views these fellows enjoyed. Hope you brought a camera (with Kodak and not GAF film) with you!
MANY THANKS TO LOU AND SUE!
24 comments:
Major-
When you gotta get up high and don't want to build a scaffold... Yes, just imagine the views-!
Thanks to Lou and Sue.
I wonder if there was some kind of netting around the bottom of that basket with the painters? It looks like all they'd have to do is take one step backwards and that can of paint behind them would go flying. Or falling, rather.
I might have pointed this out before, but that geodesic dome in the first pic, is over the Tomorrowland "pop-up" stage. The WDW and Tokyo DL versions were both indoors.
Thank you Lou, Sue, and the Major, too!
These are some great photographs today – thanks Major and Sue & Lou. There's so much to see in that first pic. And, as I know you're quite unfamiliar with the WDW Magic Kingdom, Major, I'll point out that the waterside structure in the foreground of the second photo was the boarding place for the Plaza Swan Boats which were still running occasionally at this time – although not, apparently when these pics were taken.
Are you sure that first one's a Skyway view? It might have been taken from a second crane. Or maybe a stork.
We know it's December, but the only Christmas decoration I can see is that pile of poinsettias in the hub. I shudder to think how "magical" it would look if that photo were taken in 2018.
Same photo - that stage out in front of the castle looks so small. It's still wider than my house, but I think what's there today is even bigger.
Again, same photo - I never noticed how Cinderella's Castle has two eyes over its gaping maw.
It looks like those painters are touching up the gold leaf on the castle. Kicking over a can of that paint would take a big chunk out of your paycheck.
Apparently, the castle is getting an extreme makeover to more effectively weaponize the "magic."
Thanks again, Lou & Sue!
You guys are all missing the point! The hitching post is the star of the show! When I first went to WDW, I barely looked at the castle, but I did take 10 pictures of that very hitching post. ;-) Thanks, Lou and Sue.
Ah, the Swan Boats dock. That baby lasted a long time after the ride, and was a great uncrowded place to watch the firrworks (if you didn't mind thrm being a little off centered with the castle). Of course, it's now gone because (all together now!) "THEY RUIN EVERYTHING." Great pics, Lou and Sue! Oh, and Major, "Eat them up, yum!"
Lou, It's too bad Disney didn't hire your dad as their commercial photographer. He really captured the place so well. His Castle pics are gorgeous. Thanks, Lou and Sue!
Nanook, that crane contraption looks like the ultimate ride! They should bring it back.
TokyoMagic!, I have to admit that those painters don’t look very secure, and I can’t see any netting, but of course it might be too fine to show up from such a distance. Why do you call it a “pop-up” stage, did it rise out of the ground like the one at Disneyland?
Pegleg Pete, ah, I’ve seen that structure before, but did not know it had to do with the Swan Boats. Such a shame that they no longer offer that slow, relaxing ride. I’ll bet it would be popular.
Chuck, Lou brought his own crane wherever he went, as all good photographers do. Fortune favors the prepared, or something like that! I agree, the lack of excessive Christmas decor is almost baffling by today’s standards. And yes, I never noticed the “eyes”, it reminds me of some artwork that I’ve seen for the Haunted Mansion - not that I can find that artwork in short order. I always thought that the gold leaf was real gold, and thus would not require touchups. Maybe some of it was only paint? It sure looks like they will be painting Cinderella Castle to match Sleeping Beauty Castle, with that ultramarine blue and tacky gold trim around the archways.
Andrew, 10 pictures of a hitching post, you are definitely “one of us”!
stu29573, is the dock gone? I guess it makes sense, if the ride it served has been gone for decades. Kind of like Disneyland’s Fantasyland Skyway chalet. I think I would have liked seeing the fireworks from a Swan Boat, off center or not!
K. Martinez, you said it!! Sue just sent me some more WDW scans, so stay tuned.
Lou has the gift. He could make the ugliest lawn gnome in the garden look good. Great shots of the Castle, and the workers with a view. Thanks to Sue and Major as well.
I still haven't been to WDW! I figured it would happen at some point in 50 years but no. I have a couple of years to go to make it happen.
I always liked the high waist, horizontal stripes look but we're here to talk about WDW.
I always notice that the castle is so much bigger at WDW.
Let's hope I get to see that hitching post some day.
Dz
Oops, thanks Lou and Sue, and Major P
Dz
These pictures give me vertigo. That platform can't be OSHA-approved.
I'm not sure those guys are painters. The last enlargement looks to me like they are studying something, and I don't see any tools, although there is a thing that might be a bucket on the bottom of the platform.
Maybe they are evaluating if painting or re-gilding needs to be done.
Shout out to DZacher for noticing the young lady in photo 1. That classic look for this era also caught my eye.
JG
Cut a couple of feet off the top of that contraption, and it'd be a... bob crane.
I'll be here all week.
I got nothin', but I'll be here anyway.
Jonathan, Lou had what we call “the eagle eye”. He also had eagle wings and could fly.
dzacher, you and I are in the same boat, I’ve never even been to Florida, and at this point I don’t know if I want to see WDW the way it is now. I want to see it the way it was 40 years ago!
JG, I was thinking the same thing, that crane setup does not seem like it would be OK these days. You might be right, painters would probably be wearing smocks and you’d see a few cans or some other obvious equipment.
Melissa, TOO SOON!
Major, yes.....their stage would rise up out of the ground, like the one at DL. But it would be funny if it just "popped up" in one swift motion, like a toaster.
stu29573, I didn't know that they got rid of the dock! It was there for decades, after the ride closed, wasn't it? You are right! They DO ruin everything! ;-)
It was in the last "referb" where they took out all the grass around the castle and made huge "paths" for viewing fireworks and such. I guess it was around 2015...ish... By the way, the castle looks much less "real" now that most of the lawns are gone, in my opinion. Bad move, Disney...
Major, thanks for posting my dad's pictures - and, you're right, this wasn't his first time to WDW. Yes, he always had a camera handy. I recently asked him what he most liked taking pictures of (at Disneyland and/or WDW), and he said Main Street. I guess, with all the people and parades and stuff going on, there was always something different to photograph.
Nanook, you mention the views from up there, but I think of - 'What if I need the bathroom?!'
TokyoMagic! and JG, have you noticed that my dad tends to snap pictures of OSHA-violators??
Pegleg Pete and Stu: I never rode those swan boats - but now I wish I had. I'll pass on your nice compliments to my dad.
Chuck, did you notice that Cinderella's castle's eyes have bags under them, too!
Andrew, if there was a painter painting that hitching post, my dad would've taken 20 pictures of that, trust me.
K. Martinez and JC Shannon, I'll also pass on your kind words to my dad. He never felt his pictures were that great (he just kept most of them boxed away and, sadly, also tossed thousands of negatives away), but he's now thrilled that we're enjoying them here!
Dz, WDW is a whole different 'world' - but a wonderful place that I hope you can visit soon!
Melissa! The comments are always more fun when you're here commenting!!!
That pop-up stage doesn't pop up anymore, but it does have Sonny Eclipse, one of my favorite B-attractions in WDW.
I miss the grassy hub, but the crowds at WDW pretty much required them to expand the standing and walking areas in front of the castle. I tend to go at what passes for "low" crowd times, and it was still pretty claustrophobic in that area. I'd be worried if someone had a medical emergency in that area at fireworks time. Even now, they mark off standing and walking areas with tape on the ground for fireworks.
Dean Finder, I was incredibly sick the last night of my December 2013 trip (when I got home I was diagnosed with pneumonia). It was parade time and I was desperately trying to get out of the park and back to my hotel to lie down. I asked several cast members if there was any way they could get me out, but they all said unless I was at the point where I needed an ambulance there was simply nothing they could do. They said they couldn't even get me to First Aid. Having taken the Great Ambulance Ride to Celebrations Hospital before (long story) I wasn't anxious to repeat it.
So,I just crumpled down on the pavement where I stood and waited through the Christmas parade (which was actually very beautiful and in retrospect I'm glad I saw it.)
But yeah, as much charm as has been lost on Main Street in recent years, the situation on the ground simply was that current guests' safety really was at risk.
Melissa, that’s horrible, being so sick and especially far from home. Sometimes the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ is NOT. Sorry to hear you went through that!
Yeah, being ill on vacation is never good. Several family members and I all came down with some kind of flu when we were at WDW in late Jan/early Feb, which is now suspiciously possible to have been covid, since all of us got negative flu tests and the symptoms match. In any case, I can say that the Reedy Creek FD's medics are nice and very competent, and I now have strong opinions on the local urgent care centers and late-night pharmacies in the area around WDW.
Dean, your experience sounds awful, too! Did you have far to travel home? I can’t imagine having to navigate airports and long flights while feeling crappy. No pun intended. And all the money spent to not have a good time. So sorry to hear what you and some of your family went through.
Yes, the ambulance guys were absolutely top-notch! And super nice. The only really bad part was getting through the traffic, and the overcrowded conditions at the ER/hospital (which isn't their fault).
We had a few days to recover before traveling home so we were OK. My MIL missed her last 2 days in the parks, and just stayed in the hotel, though. I was the least affected, so I did most of the driving home to NJ.
Post a Comment